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Greenpeace Ordered to Pay $660 Million in Pipeline Defamation Case

A North Dakota jury found Greenpeace liable for defamation, trespass, and conspiracy over its role in protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline, sparking concerns over free speech and activism rights.

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Greenpeace representatives talk with reporters on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, outside the Morton County Courthouse in Mandan, N.D. From left are Greenpeace USA Interim Executive Director Sushma Raman, Greenpeace USA Senior Legal Adviser Deepa Padmanabha, Greenpeace International General Counsel Kristin Casper, Greenpeace USA attorney Everett Jack Jr., Greenpeace Fund Inc. attorney Matt Kelly and Greenpeace USA Associate General Counsel Jay Meisel. (AP Photo/Jack Dura)
Indigenous Water Protectors and other environmental activists protest the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) in North Dakota on February 22, 2017.

Overview

  • The jury awarded $660 million in damages to Energy Transfer, citing defamation, trespass, nuisance, and civil conspiracy by Greenpeace entities.
  • Greenpeace plans to appeal the decision, arguing the lawsuit is a SLAPP case intended to silence dissent and free speech.
  • The protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline, led by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in 2016-2017, were among the largest anti-fossil fuel demonstrations in U.S. history.
  • Critics have raised concerns about the fairness of the trial, noting that many jurors had ties to the fossil fuel industry and potential biases.
  • Greenpeace has also filed a countersuit in Europe under anti-SLAPP laws, signaling a broader legal battle over corporate influence and environmental advocacy.